Gas-generating combustion engine



Nov. 25, 1930.

.1. E. JOHANSSON 1,783,018. GAS GENERATING COMBUSTION ENGINE 7 Filed 051;. 12, 1925 ZSheets-Shaet 1 49 60. v

Nov. 25, 1930. J. E. JOHANSSON GAS GENERATING COMBUSTION ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 12, 1925 Inuwfzr Patented Nov. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES PAT NT.- OFFICE .ionAN ERIK JoHANssoN, F eo'rTENBoEG; sWEnEN, AssIGNoa'ro AKT IEE OEAGET GOTAVERKEN, 0E GOTTENBORG, SWEDEN, A CORPORATION oE-swEi EN.

GAS-GENERATING OMBUSTIO ENGINE Application flied October 12, 1925, Serial No. 61,898, and 1 Swedenbetober 22, 1924."

My invention relates to generator plants for (producing gas to be conveyed through pipes to and utilized in other engines at a distance from the plant.

The 'object of the invention is to obtain a gas mixture of suitable temperature and Sllll'lciently high pressure that can economically I be conveyedthrough"metal pipes to be utilized for generating power with minimum loss of energy. My improved plant consists of an gine and an air compressor driven by the engine, and I used air exclusively asthe cooling medium. Tlie'plant is so designed that the pressure at which the expansion is interrupted in the combustion engineJis-approximately the same as the'pressure to which the air is compressed in the compressor, the compressor having such a size as compared to the sweet the combustion engine that the total volume of "sucked in air is at least 50"0 larger than the volume part of said air of the same pressure, which is used for charging the combustion engine.

Referringto' the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram'for the combustion engine, Figure 2 "is a diagram for the compressor under one condition of operation, Figure Sis a diagram r'or thecompressor under another COHdltlOIl' of operation, Figure 4 shows a four-stroke generator in cross section, Figure '5 shows part ofthe same generator on an enlarged scale, and Figure 6 shows another embodimerit of the invention.

The line 48- 49 in Fig. l isthe compression curve in'the' combustion cylinder, the line 49-}50the combustion curve, 50-51 the expansion curve, 51-'52the exhaust line lastly 52 53%48 the sucking-in-line. The

pressure p, at which the exhaust takes place and which nearly corresponds to the pressure of the generated gas mixture, the sucking-in pressure 32 and this last mentioned pressure in its turn is preferably higher than the atmospheric pressure. In the embodiment considered two compressors are thus required, one of them for instance so designed (see Fig.2) that it sucks in all required the air from the atmosphere that is tothe for the process and compres s same I "sent-ed by the diagram surface internal combustion four stroke pist'oii en-" 'of the volume 2 cooling and friction for the further use ina suitable motor.

is higher than "compression of'air, two compressor diagrams being obtained, the sizes of which are determiued.-one for low pressure in Fig. Qwandone for high pressure in Fig. 3. a f

The air volume a compressed by thelow pressure compressor to the pressure p thus corresponds partly to the suction volume wet the combustion engine constituting that part of the air which is consumed during the com-' bustion, and partly to thesucking-in volume 'v of the high pressure compressor, constituting that part of the air which, after compression to the pressure 1), will be mixed with the combustion gases. Thus U equals V plus X. The gas mixture generated thus consists of hot gases of the volume 11 from the combustion engine and air of a lower temperature from the high pressure comboth of the same pressure. Thus pressor,

generated gas mixture is equal the volume of to Y plus Z.

-Not considering the unavoidable losses by I have thus transmitted fuel to the gas mixture this motor consists of a piston engine it is all the energy of the advisable that the temperatureof the gas mixture with regard to the possibility of lubricating the engine be not higher than about750 F. Such temperaturecan be obtained according to my invention at apressure 'of for instance lbs. per square inch above atmosphere. In this case the sucked in volume U is about oneand one-half times larger than the-charge volume X. If the gas power is to be utilized in a turbine a somewhat higher connected to piston rod by means of a pin 41. The upper side of the compressor piston constitutes together with the compressor cylinder the working chamber of the low pressure compressor, while the lower side of same piston constitutes the working chamber of the high pressure compressor.

The free air is sucked in through the pipe 62 and the suction valve 63. The air compressed tothe low pressure p passes the pressure valve 64 and the space 65 and is conducted partly through the pipe 66, the receiver 12 and the pipe 68 to the valve casing 69 for-the mechanically operated valve c of the combustion cylinder, and partly through the suction valve 7 0 to the high pressure compressor, whereupon the air now compressed to the high pressure p escapes through the ressure valve 71 via the space 72 and the pipe $3 to the valve casing 74, in Which the mechanically operated valve 6 is arranged, in order to be conducted to a receiver for the generated gas mixture through the pipe 15.

According to the diagram in Fig. 1 air of the low pressure flows into the combustion engine during the suctionstroke from 53 to 48. The valve 0 is therefore so operated that it is open during said period. After compression, combustion and expansion have then taken place in the combustion cylinder the gases are driven out during the exhaust stroke from 51 to 52, wherefor the exhaust valve 6 is so operated that it is open during this period, and the gases are conducted to the place of consumption through the pipe 15. The high pressure air is thus in the shown embodiment conducted through the valve casing 74 for the cooling of the valve 6. The air will in this case not be mixed with the exhaust gases before it has entered the pipe 15 during the last part of the compressionstroke on the lower side of the piston, which occurs both immediately before the driving out of the gases through the valve 1) and after a short interval during the last part of the suction stroke of the combustion engine. On this account the valve casing 74 can be de-- signed smaller than if the compressed air had to be conducted therethrough simultaneously with the gases. Thus it is evident that it will be advantageous that the high compression occurs on the lower side of the piston. a

The shown arrangement makes it possible to provide only two valves 6 and c of ordinary dimensionsjn the cylinder cover except the usual fuel valve 14, thereby allowing the cover to be cooled in the same manner as in a common four-stroke motor.

The mixture between air and exhaust gases can also take place in the combustion chamber as shown in Fig. 6. In such case however an additional valve or will be necessary and then be connected to the pipe 73. Said valve can be designed with smaller passage than the valves 1) and c in Fig. 4, but the passage of the valve 6 must be increased correspondingly. This causes however the cooling of the cover to become insufficient and therefore the design of Fig. 6 to be inferior to that of Fig. 4.

While I have described the compressor to compress the air for the gas mixture in two stages, it will be understood that the invention disclosed can be equally well applied to a double-acting compressor as shown in Fig. 6, which compresses the air for the gas mixture directly from atmosphere in one stage up to the pressure p on the lower side of the compressor piston for instance, which air is conducted to the valve a, while the upper side of said piston is exclusively used' for compressing the suction air necessary for the combustion up to the pressure p which air is conducted to the valve 0.

I claim:

1. In combination, in an internal combustion engine and compressor, a combustion cylinder, a compressor cylinder, and a packing cylinder disposed in coaxial relation, a compound piston structure comprising pistons having a working fit with the respective cylinders, means for admitting air to the compressor cylinder above the piston therein duringthe suction stroke of the engine, means for admitting a part of the air compressed during the com ression stroke into the engine cylinder and or admitting the remainder of such compressed air into the compressor cylinder below the piston therein, a take-ofi pipe leading from the exhaust engine valve, and means for conducting the air compressed in the compressor cylinder during the out stroke of the piston over the exhaust valve and into said pipe.

2. In combination, an internal combustion engine, an air compressor workin in synchronism with the engine and having a low pressure side and a high pressure side, the low pressure side of the compressor having its intake connected to atmosphere and the valume ofair drawn into the low pressure side of the compressor during its suction stroke being approximately fifty per cent greater than the volume of charging air required for the engine, means for conducting a charging portion of the air compressed in the low pressure side of the compressor into the engine cylinder during the compression stroke thereof and for conducting the remainder of such compressed air to the intake of the high pipe leading from the ex said pipe.

pressure side of the com ressor, a take-ofi aust valve of the engine, and means for conducting the air compressed in the high pressure slde of the compressor over the exhaust valve and to said p1pe.

3. ,In combination, an internal combustion engine, an air compressor working in s chronism with the engine and having a ow ressure side and a high pressure side, the ow pressure side of the compressor having its intake connected to atmosphere and the volume of air drawn into the low pressure side of the compressor durin its suction stroke being approximately fty per cent greater than the volume of charging air required forthe engine, means for conductin a charging portion of the air compress in the ow pressure side of the compressor into the engine cylinder during the compression stroke thereof and for conducting the remainder of such compressed air to the intake of the high pressure side of the com- 1pressor, a take-off pipe leading from the exaust valve of the engine, and means for conductin the air compressed in thehigh pressure si e of the compressor over the exhaust valveand to said pipe during the combustion stroke of the engine. y 4. In combination, in an internal combustion engine and compressor, a combustion cylinder, a compressor cylinder, and a packing cylinder disposed in coaxial relation, 1pound piston structure comprising pistons aving a working fit with the. respective cylinders, pressor. cylinder above the iston therein uring the suction stroke of t e engine, the volume of air drawn intothe compressor beihg approximately fifty per cent greater than the volume of air required to charge the engine, means for admittin a charging portion of the air compresse 'durin the compression=stroke into the engine 0 inder and for admitting the remain er 0 such compressed air into the compressor cylinder below the piston th erein, a take-ofi p1pe leading from the engine exhaust valve, and means for conductin the air compressed in the compressor cylin the piston over the exhaust valve and into In testimony whereof he afiixes his signa ture.

J QHAN ERIK J OHANSSON. i! I a commeans for admitting air to the comer during the out stroke of 

